Charles euttler



waited $211253 $312M can.

Letters Patent No. 96,815, dated November 16, 1869.

IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PLASTIC VENEER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be it known that I, CHARLES KUTTLER, of West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful process of preparing wood, or any ligneous material, so as to render it capable of being embossed, pressed, and

, stamped out in any desired design or form, introducing among the usefularts an economical substitute for sculptnring in wood; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same. I

With a 'plane, or other suitable machine capable of performing the same functions, I reduce the wood (of whatever description) to thin, smooth, uniform strips, or shavings, cut in the direction of the grain of the wood, and of the length of the panel or block desired, which I now proceed to construct thus:

I render these strips or'shavings pliable by steaming, in anyconvenient manner, and then place them in a layer, side by side, edge touching edge, and with. the-grain running in the same direction, and in such numbers as will give me a surface of the width of the panel or block desired. This gives me the first stratum of my contemplated panel or block.

On this first stratum I spread a coating of thin glue, or any viscous or other substance capable of insuring cohesion, and upon this I lay my second stratum of strips' or shavings, arranged precisely as before, but with the centre of each shaving covering the joiningplaces of the edges of the strips or shavings in the first stratum.

I then again'coat this second stratum with my glue, or other adhesive material, as before, and then lay my third stratum of strips or shavings precisely as before, but with thecentre ofeach strip or shaving covering the joining-places of the edges ofthe strips or shavings I of the second stratum.

Now, another coating of glue, or other adhesive mixture; as before, and I then lay my fourth stratum; but this time I lay my strips or shavings transversely to the former strata, running up and down, instead of laterally, but in other respects just as before, my strips or shavings, however, being of a length equal to the width of the former strata, and of such a numher as, when laid out, will give the length of such former strata.

Then another coating of the glue, or other adhesive mixture, as before, upon which a fifth stratum of strips or shavings is arranged, in the same manner as the fourth sp'atun'i, but with the centre of each strip or shaving covering the joining-places of the edges of the strips or shavings of the fourth stratum.

My sixth stratum of strips or shavings is arranged upon the thinly glue-coated fifth stratum diagonally, but inother respects similar to the other before-named strata.

I then, alternately, spread thin glue, or other adhesive mixture, and place strata of strips or shavings until I obtain any given thickness of block or panel desired. These last-named strata may be arranged varyinglylongitudinally, latitmlinally, or diagonally.

This now gives me the block or panel which, while soft and fresh, is plastic, and capable of being embossed, pressed, and stamped out in any desired form or design, and that, too, in the direction of the grain, by comparatively slight pressure, as follows:

I place the panelor block which I have-thus created, and which I call composite plastic vcener, between male and female dies, slightly warmed and oiled, and subject it to pressure until suflicieutly set and hardened, and there results to me an exceedingly hard,

compact, and homogeneous block or panel, with. a design of the character of the die sharply embossed npon it'in bold relief, having all the beauty, finish, and appearance of tine wood-sculpture, and which is wholly free from the liabilityof warping or fracture, peculiar to wood of natural growth. 7

The dies to be used can be of any suitable metal. Electrot-ypes, backed. with lead or type-metal, can be used to the greatest advantage, both as being very cheap, and because thereby the most exquisite designs, modern and antique, can be faithfully reproduced, at a low cost, upon any kind of wood.

The dies are to be perforated with holes, properly arranged to permit the air to escape.

Vhen I desire to fill in the indentations on the intaglio side of the panel or block, I use for that purpose a mixture of wood-shreds, or other cut-up ligneous material, and the adhesive mixture, and placing it, as thickly as desirable, on the back of the panel or block, I replace the panel or block in the female die, and subject it to pressure again. By this same means, I can also render my panel or block of any desired thickness.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process, hereinbefore LlBSCI'lb'iiLDf preparing wood, or any ligncous material, in the manner described, so as to'render it capable of being embossed, pressed, and stamped out in any desiredform or design, in the direction of the grain of the wood, and preserving the appearance of wood of natural growth;

2. The material so made by my process, herein described, which I call composite plastic woneer, and

which, when soft and fresh, is plastic, 'and capable of being embossed, pressed, and stamped out in any desired form or design, in the manner hereinbefore described.

CHAR-LES KUTTLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. GLOVER, HENRY B. MALcoMsox. 

